If you’re wondering about how to make sense of capturing online consumers for your real estate business, Michael Montsko knows all about it. As president of the Weichert Lead Network, Montsko oversees the company’s customer contact center and heads up strategy for the Weichert Web site and the company’s overall Web presence.
Prior to this position, Montsko was vice president of business technology for Weichert Lead Network, where he spearheaded the company’s technology initiative in its contact center, which responds to customer inquiries seven days a week.
The Weichert Web site averages 2.4 million visitors per month, and contact center specialists typically respond to a customer Web inquiry in less than a minute.
Prior to joining Weichert, Montsko was vice president and chief technology officer for Foxtons. He also has worked for AT&T, designing and developing Internet applications for AT&T’s consumer long-distance division.
Montsko will speak during Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 11-13, 2006.
Here are his answers to a set of questions posed by Inman News:
Panel or session at Connect: Pre-conference Workshops: Innovative Broker Strategies
What type of home were you born in and where?
An apartment in Queens, N.Y.
What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?
A Victorian that I purchased in 2004.
What worries keep you awake at night?
No worries, just a flood of new ideas on how to improve our business.
Describe your dream home:
Whatever my wife’s dream home is. I’m hoping it’s a “smart” home on the banks of a river. I always thought it would be neat to be able to control all your home’s functions from a universal remote.
Who is your hero?
My mother and father.
What was your first job?
Software sales while I was in high school. Local computer stores would give me their surplus software, and I would then travel to a computer show, set up a table and sell, sell, sell. All profits were split with the storeowners. It was a lot of fun.
What would your second career choice be after real estate?
There are occupations outside of real estate?
Which daily newspaper do you read and which section do you read first?
The Wall Street Journal’s “What’s News” section.
Where did you spend your last vacation?
Aruba.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
The development of the software systems that run the Weichert Lead Network.
What are your favorite technology devices or software applications?
BlackBerry, iPod and Tablet PC.
What kind of music do you listen to?
Alternative and classic rock.
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